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Morpeth Flood Alleviation Scheme. Environment Agency Proposed options. April 2009. Awaiting decision•Two broad options for a flood alleviation

scheme that are technically, environmentally and economically viable. ▫To build flood defences where none presently

exist, and refurbish or raise existing walls▫To build one or more floodwater storage areas

upstream of Morpeth, together with new and refurbished flood walls in the town

•Creating flood water storage areas upstream mean defences in town would not need to be as high

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Three possible sites upstream to store water during flood conditions

•Upstream of Mitford Hall on the Mitford Estate•Upstream of Rivergreen Mill•Upstream of Meldon Park

•Both of the broad options would be complemented by improvements to culverts in Morpeth.

• Increasing the culverts’ capacity should reduce the risk of flooding from Cotting Burn, Church Burn and Postern Burn

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The options are:

•Option 1 – Local defences in Morpeth•Option 2a – Storage near Rivergreen Mill

(Site B) and local defences in Morpeth•Option 2b – Storage on the Mitford Hall

Estate (Site D) and local defences in Morpeth•Option 2c – Storage on the Mitford Hall

Estate (Site D) and Meldon Park (Site A) and local defences in Morpeth

•Option 2d – Storage near Rivergreen Mill (Site B) and Meldon Park (Site A) and local defences in Morpeth

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Issues around choosing flood defences – exceedence probability

• Socio-economic and political limits to the size/capacity of structures

• Can always be overtopped by a flood larger than the design capacity of the defence

• Encourages ‘false sense of security’

• Encourages increased floodplain development – the ‘levee effect’ – which in turn encourages more defences then more development, etc

An engineered floodwall that overtopped

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Issues around choosing flood defences – conflict over choices

•Environmental/aesthetic impact•Different people in different parts of the

town may have different ideas •Go to the Morpeth Flood Action Group

website www.morpethfloodaction.org.uk for some of their comments

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Willingness to pay: “Suppose, the government is considering implementing a comprehensive national flood defence scheme ...”

60% said they would not pay anything

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Willing or not willing to pay

Willing Not willing

• Depends what it actually means...and who gets it

• I would be willing to pay almost anything

• I would like to avoid• The stress of the flooding• This ever happening again

• I can't afford to pay• Other things are more

important than avoiding flooding

• The government or council should pay for this

• I don't own the property I live in

• I'm already paying insurance for protection

• I don't believe the money would be spent appropriately

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…what is the minimum amount of money that would compensate your household for all the damages due to the recent flood?

• Can't put money on it

• It's the personal items you cannot replace

• How do you quantify the disruption to your life?

• Money is irrelevant - no amount could compensate

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Non-structural approaches

•Warnings – more in a minute•Preparedness planning•Awareness raising•Flood wardens (a Morpeth group has formed

and met)• Individual householder actions (maybe

making own flood plan or installing flood boards across door entrances)

•Advocacy and protest – the Morpeth Flood Action Group http://www.morpethfloodaction.org.uk/

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The High Stanners area

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Non-structural approaches – warningsWarnings given and not given

•The Environment Agency issued 22 Flood Warnings and 7 Severe Flood Warnings and successfully reached over 500 properties on 5th and 6th September 2008

•But an Environment Agency warning system error meant 200 people did not receive flood warnings

•The flood warning areas (FWAs) were reassessed after the 2008 flood event

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b) New FWAs in 2009There is a 61%-67% sign- up rate for the warning service

a) FWAs in Morpeth in September 2008

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Issues about warning systems

•Warnings do not take away the flood, just minimize some of the risk and the impacts

•At present, people have to ‘opt in’ to a warning scheme. The Pitt Review recommended people should have to ‘opt out’

•Warning systems are only effective if people get them long enough before to take damage reducing actions

•And if they are capable of taking actions

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What does this tell us? • Our sample gives us a picture

of many people, women in particular, living alone and having to cope with the flood

• Many are retired people on a fixed income

• These would typically be regarded as vulnerable people

• A number of respondents live in social housing (e.g. Housing Association) rather than private properties

• This can mean they have limited control over their residential location or on the processes of recovery and reconstruction and this can be a stressor

• Although many respondents had lived in Morpeth for many years

• For the majority (93%) this was their first and only experience of a disaster like this

• So there was not a lot of past experience for people to fall back on to prepare them for such an event

• Will the 2008 experience help them if another flood were to occur?

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What does this tell us? • We have a picture of much

variability in the data so far• We have many people

facing an extreme event but coping

• We have others (usually a minority) for whom the flood was most extreme and the impact of it on their health and their economic position has also been extreme

• For many, their friends, family and neighbours were a major support and continue to be so

• There is a varying response (positive and negative) toward the range of service providers (rescue services, volunteers, local government) which we need to analyse more closely

• We have seen remarkable resilience and fortitude in the face of an extreme event

• While the majority have said they are victims of the flood

• They are perhaps better described as survivors

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What does this tell us?

• Many Morpeth residents have been through a major life event which has had considerable social, health and economic impacts on them

• Many people have told us that they worry every time it rains, they go and watch the river, ring the Environment Agency Floodline, or check the Met Office website

• While people are seeking to put this behind them, it is not yet possible for some who are still settling insurance claims or trying to get back into their homes or seeking a solution to the flood risk

• If climate change predictions are correct then we are likely to see more extreme vents such as this.

• What do you think is the best way to face this uncertain future?

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References and Links

• Castle Morpeth Borough Council (2007) Local Authority Area Profile: Castle Morpeth [online] http://www.gos.gov.uk/nestore/docs/ourregion/laps/castle_morpeth.pdf

• Environment Agency (2005) Wansbeck and Blyth Catchment Flood Management Plan Environment Agency, Bristol

• Environment Agency 2009 Morpeth Flood Alleviation Scheme Options Consultation, April 2009

• JBA Consulting (2008) Flooding in Castle Morpeth 6 & 7 September 2008: Independent Review Draft Report, JBA Consulting, Northampton

• JBA Consulting (2009) Flooding in Castle Morpeth 6 & 7 September 2008: Independent Review Final Report, JBA Consulting, Northampton

• Morpeth Flood Group 2009 Castle Morpeth Area DRAFT Flood Action Plan. February 2009 http://cid-901b1332d364f762.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/DraftFloodActionPlan2009Public.pdf

• NLRF (Northumberland Local Resilience Forum) (2008) September 2008 Multi-Agency Debrief Report: Severe Weather and Associated Flooding [online] http://www.gos.gov.uk/nestore/docs/prepforemer/090416_final_debrief.pdf

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References and Links

• The Pitt Review http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/pittreview/thepittreview/final_report.html

• BBC TV ‘Inside Out’ programme (photo gallery, script and video) http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2008/09/25/north_east_floods_s14_w3_feature.shtml

• 2001 census data available online: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp

• Local people speak of the damage, John Healey MP Floods Recovery Minister speaks of more positive aspects. UTUBE video http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUK262&q=video+Morpeth+flood&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=DIQRS__FDNTRjAfDpfzJAw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQqwQwAA#source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUK262&q=video+Morpeth+flood&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=DIQRS__FDNTRjAfDpfzJAw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQqwQwAA&qvid=video+Morpeth+flood&vid=

4542325147181837847 • Morpeth Flood Action Group

www.morpethfloodaction.org.uk

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